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Family Dollar to cut jobs, close about 370 stores

Associated Press

Updated:
04/10/2014 05:20:49 PM EDT

FILE - In this file photo taken Dec. 14, 2010, Family Dollar employee Pamela Ramos, left, assists John Conner with a purchase at a store in Waco, Texas. Family Dollar on Thursday, April 10, 2014 said it will be cutting jobs and closing about 370 underperforming stores as it looks for ways to improve its financial performance. It says it will also cut prices on about 1,000 basic items.
(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrezfile, File)

MATTHEWS, N.C. — Family Dollar says it will be cutting jobs and closing about 370 underperforming stores as it looks for ways to improve its financial performance. It says it will also cut prices on about 1,000 basic items.

The company's stock fell more than 3 percent in Thursday premarket trading.

The announcement came as Family Dollar reported its profit and revenue declined in the second quarter as it dealt with bad winter weather.

The discounter said the store closings and job cuts should lower annual operating expenses by $40 million to $45 million, starting with the fiscal third quarter. Family Dollar Stores Inc. currently has more than 8,100 stores in 46 states.

The Matthews, N.C., company says it will also slow new store openings beginning in fiscal 2015 to bolster its return on investment.